1964 Armagnac - a great 50th Birthday Present Idea

Do you know someone who is turning 50 this year? We believe it's important to celebrate the half-century in style and it certainly needs marking with a unique gift. If you've been trying to think of a great 50th Birthday Present idea for someone who is turning 50 in 2014, a bottle of 1964 Armagnac makes an original gift that is sure to delight any discerning drinker...

We have 2 wonderful Armagnacs available from this Vintage - the 1964 Armagnac Baron de Lustrac and the 1964 Armagnac Baron de Sigognac. Both have their Vintage displayed on the label and are presented in wooden presentation boxes so they really are a gift to treasure.We thought we'd take this opportunity to share with you a little bit of information about Armagnac and why we think it's so special.

A (very) brief guide to Armagnac...

Armagnac is one of the oldest spirits in the world and has been distilled and appreciated since the 1400s. Essentially a brandy, its name also refers to the area it's produced in - the Armagnac region in Gascony, South West France. Armagnac is distilled from wine made from a blend of grapes including Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Baco22. The resulting spirit is then aged in Oak Barrels (allowing the flavour to develop in complexity and the spirit to take on its beautiful amber colour). Part of the spirit is lost by evaporation during this process, and in France they charmingly refer to this as 'la part des anges which translates as 'the angel's share'.

Why we prefer Armagnac to Cognac...

Armagnac is often overshadowed by its better known cousin Cognac. Although there are many similarities in the tastes, there are a few distinctions between Armagnac and Cognac, beyond just the area in which they are produced. Firstly, Armagnac tends to be distilled using column stills, rather than the pot stills used in Cognac. Secondly, the volume of Armagnac produced is significantly less than Cognac and so it tends to be less well know. Whilst Cognac tends to be dominated by big-name brands, Armagnac is generally made and sold by small producers which we feel gives it more personality and makes it more of special, unique gift than a bottle from its better know cousin.

Our two 1964 Armagnac Producers:

The 1964 Armagnac Baron De Lustrac is created by a small independent specialist. This delicious Armagnac is an amber colour with hints of pear & vanilla. An advantage a vintage brandy has over a vintage wine is that this superior spirit can be enjoyed over a number of months once opened, ensuring the celebrations continue!

There is a nice story surrounding the producer of the 1964 Armagnac Baron de Sigognac. Legend has it that, one day long ago, Baron de Sigognac took all the traditional clocks out of his cellars. Fascinated by the mystery surrounding the way Armagnac ages, he had some very strange timepieces made. On these clocks, the face had ten divisions instead of twelve. the seconds had become years, the big hand moved only once a decade and the hour hand marked the centuries. The legend adds that, with time, Baron de Sigognac came to trust only his palate in telling the age of an Armagnac and the clocks were left unwound...

So make someone's 50th Birthday extra special this year with a bottle of Armagnac from their birth year! It's also a wonderful way to mark a 50th Wedding anniversary or even a company's birthday or corporate anniversary.